


The Treasure of Exegol Island

by Writingwife83



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 2500 follower fic giveaway, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - 1930s, Bickering, Exes, F/M, Imagine Ben Solo in Indiana Jones getup, Kissing, Treasure Hunting, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:42:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29539788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writingwife83/pseuds/Writingwife83
Summary: When Sheev Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker have both passed away, it’s revealed that they chose to carry on their rivalry after death by having their grandchildren search for their inheritance like buried treasure. Whoever finds it first gets both family’s fortunes. With Rey and Ben already having a history, being stuck on an island and competing against each other is bound to stir up old feelings, both good and bad.
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 16
Kudos: 19
Collections: Wifey’s Reylo Prompts





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amoreusou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amoreusou/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for this prompt, amoreusous2! Apologies that it took me this long to get it started, but I’m here now! Let’s get this little adventure started...

[Fic Moodboard](https://writingwife-83.tumblr.com/post/643485943041490944/the-treasure-of-exegol-island-ch-1)

Rey hoisted herself up once more, reaching for the root near the top of the ledge she’d just toppled over, but it seemed to be no use. She’d been at this for almost an hour and was beginning to feel more than a little defeated. There was nowhere to get good footing, nowhere she could reach to pull herself up, and because her pack had fallen clear over the precipice, she was without any additional tools.

She could feel the compass and folded up map out of her pocket, confirming they hadn’t been lost in her fall- at least she hadn’t left those things in her pack. Not that those things would help her get back on solid ground, particularly as she was rapidly losing daylight. 

Rey kicked a little stone, hearing the little echo as it bounced its way down the cliff side. She knew she was lucky to have landed on this tiny outcrop of rock and not bounced clear over the side like the rest of her things, but her anger mounted as she began questioning what the hell she was even doing here. Why had she agreed to any of this? She thought it was the right thing to do, trying to claim her family’s fortune. Or more specifically, trying to keep it away from someone else. But the more time went by the more she was starting to think she was wasting her time. 

She wasn’t a treasure hunter, and she barely knew anything about surviving in these conditions. She knew only what she’d researched right before this journey to the island of Exegol. Besides that and the map she’d been given, she felt completely out of her depth. Now more than ever, being stranded on the side of a cliff. 

And all the while Ben was likely making headway somewhere on this island, quite literally leaving her in the dust.

She’d been thrown together with Ben Solo at a charity gala her grandfather forced her to attend a few years ago, meeting him before she was fully aware of who he was. Their connection was instant and admittedly intense. The way he held her when they danced, the look in his eyes, the way he said her name, all of it. After a night of unexpected romance, they began corresponding after going their separate ways. For a little while Rey was truly swept up in all of it. But after a few months of writing, some of Ben’s less positive qualities and less than admirable actions began to surface. He simply wasn’t the man she hoped he’d be. The connection between their grandfathers hadn’t helped, and between that and some of the red flags Rey had seen in Ben himself, ultimately she chose to end their connection, writing him a strongly worded final letter. 

She never would have guessed that _this_ would be the reason she’d be faced with the man again. 

Sheev Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker, despite the crash of ‘28, had managed to retain their wealth, largely because of overseas investments. The two men had at one time been colleagues but had a falling out later in life and became rivals. In the ultimate act of selfish revenge, they chose to continue the legacy of rivalry into their grandchildren’s generation. By the time the second of the two men had died (Rey’s grandfather) both Rey and Ben had received instructions from both of their last will and testaments. It was the most outlandish thing she’d ever heard of. A combined inheritance, or perhaps a legal certificate of such, from both men had been hidden on the private island of Exegol which had been owned by Palpatine. The instructions were for each grandchild to use the provided map and find the inheritance. The first one to do so would legally be the one benefactor.

“Damn them,” Rey growled under her breath, cursing her grandfather and Ben’s for such a ridiculous scheme. She hadn’t thought she could dislike her grandfather even more in death than in life, but somehow he’d made it possible.

“Damn who?”

Rey’s gaze whipped upward in shock at the sound of his voice. She supposed she shouldn’t have been so very surprised, seeing as she already knew he was supposed to be here as well. 

“Ben Solo,” she greeted in a sneer.

He grinned a bit too wide for her liking. “You taking a break down there? Doesn’t seem to be a relaxing spot, what with certain death only a few feet away.”

She rolled her eyes. “I thought I would take in the view.”

“Huh...that looks an awful lot like a backpack down at the bottom of the cliff. Might that be yours?”

Rey crossed her arms, glaring up at him. “I’m really not in the mood for games, so why don’t you just tell me now if you’re planning on helping me or leaving me stranded here!”

Ben reared back in mock surprise. “Oh you _want_ my help?”

“What I _want_ is to get off this ledge! After that I’d like to think I don’t need anyone’s help.”

“Well as long as that’s all you need...I’d think I can do that much,” he replied, casually gazing at the horizon, fingers hooked in his belt loops. “Good thing _one of us_ still has their pack and rope.”

Ben began humming contentedly as he took his pack off, took out the rope, and then disappeared. Rey could hear him doing something, likely finding a secure place to tie the rope. His head soon peeked over the edge again.

“I’m gonna throw this down and I want you to tie it around your waist, ok? Nice and tight.”

Rey caught the rope, doing as she was told and holding tight to it. “I’m ready.”

“Once you’re off the ground, try to set your feet on the side of the cliff and walk up while I pull!” he called.

She soon felt her feet lift and she did as he instructed, walking her way up as she was pulled and trying her best not to turn and look down. Her life was literally in his hands, and it was a difficult reality to ignore. As she neared the top and he came into view, he walked over closer, extending his arm which she grabbed, and he pulled her up to solid ground.

Rey took a moment, leaning over and breathing deeply as she processed the way her life had briefly flashed before her eyes. 

“Thank you,” she gasped, catching her breath.

“No problem.” 

He started untying the rope from the nearby tree and wound it up until she found him standing in front of her again, prompting her to untie it from her waist and hand it over.

Realization suddenly struck Rey, and she straightened up, marching away and back into the woods.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m not telling you where I’m going,” Rey called over her shoulder. “Thank you again for the help, but I won’t have you following me.”

“Rey, you don’t even have-“

“I have what I need!”

She kept walking, wanting to put as much distance between them, and as quickly as possible. The sky decided in that moment to open up and begin pouring rain, but Rey grit her teeth against it and decided it made no difference. She’d been on the right track before her fall, and the last thing she needed was to give him any hints and help his progress. 

She couldn’t let him win.

* * *

Shivering a little, Rey took the map out again trying to shelter it with her body as the rain dropped down on her even through the tree she’d huddled under. She squinted in the dark, checking her location only briefly before putting the map safely away again, not wanting it to get soaked through. 

Pushing ahead, she left the slight cover of the tree and tried to continue on, hoping to encounter somewhere more significant that she could shelter for the night. A few minutes more of walking though, and she turned a corner to see a glowing fire…

Rey swore under her breath, realizing too late that she’d happened upon Ben’s campsite. In her attempt to back away in retreat, she happened to step right on a large branch, the sound of its snap echoing loudly and making his gaze shoot right to her. She turned to hurry away, but even she knew it was too late.

“Rey? Rey, wait!”

“I’m leaving, ok! I didn’t realize you were camped here.”

He frowned, looking her up and down. “You’re not camped _anywhere_ , are you? Of course you’re not. You lost all your supplies.” He sighed heavily. “Rey, come sit by the fire.”

Her features contorted in horror. “No!”

“Why not? You’re soaked! You have no way to dry off, no food or water from what I can see, and by morning you’ll be sick or hypothermic, maybe both. You can turn your nose up at me and push me away in the morning, but I’m not taking no for an answer tonight.”

She didn’t budge, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Rey,” he laughed, clearly reading her thoughts. “If I wanted to sabotage you it would be a lot less effort to just leave you out here in the elements, without food and water.” Ben crossed his arms, his gaze a little more challenging. “I can pick you up and carry you over to that fire or you can walk.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she muttered, finally pushing past him and walking toward the inviting glow. 

He’d set his tent up with a slight overhang connected to some branches, creating a pretty dry place to sit that was close enough to the fire. She had to admit it felt like heaven given the state she’d been in for the previous few hours.

“You should really take your clothes off.”

Rey whirled around, gaping at him.

Ben lifted his hands in surrender. “ _Relax_ , Rey. I mean you can put on my extra shirt and hang your things up near the fire. You’ll get warm faster and the clothes will dry faster.”

She reluctantly accepted the shirt he held out, knowing he was right and agreeing to change in the tent while he stayed outside. The shirt was of course very large on her, though she still felt barely dressed, blushing involuntarily as she emerged and caught his eye while going to hang up her things.

Sitting next to him by the fire and tugging his shirt as far down her legs as possible, Rey noticed Ben had also left out a blanket for her. Wrapping it around her shoulders, she managed a small smile. “Thanks.”

Ben lifted a little mug of something steaming. “Soup?”

“Yes, please.” She couldn’t help accepting that particular offer instantly, never having been one to do well with hunger. 

They quietly sipped on their soup for a few minutes, the rain above them letting up almost completely before Ben spoke again.

“How are you doing with the map?”

Rey laughed a little. “I’m not gonna fall for that.”

He looked genuinely confused. 

“I’m not telling you anything about finding the inheritance,” she went on. “You’re just trying to get information out of me.”

Ben stared into the fire, shaking his head slowly. “If that’s you’d like to think,” he murmured, almost more to himself than her.

For just a moment, Rey couldn’t take her eyes off him. He looked...sad. The firelight was kissing his features and reflecting in his eyes, and his profile looked positively ethereal.

He cleared his throat. “It’s a two person tent.”

“Technically,” Rey muttered under her breath, glancing at the minimal floor space behind them.

“We can take turns if you prefer,” he offered, his tone noticeably weary.

“No, it’s alright. It’ll do just for tonight, I suppose. I’ll figure something else out if I’m still here tomorrow.”

Ben lifted his brow, regarding her with interest. “Planning to head home that soon?”

Rey drank down the last of her soup, setting the mug aside. “As far as I’m concerned...I can’t leave Exegol soon enough.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m estimating 3 chapters for this fic, so things will be moving along. Hope you stick around and keep reading, and if so I’d love to hear from you. Comments are writer food, and I’m like Rey...I’m hungry. ;)  
> Beta credit to Lexie ❤️


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned into a two-parter, so this wraps up their little adventure. Enjoy!

Rey shifted in discomfort, the uneven terrain beneath her barely softened by the tent and sleeping bag she was on top of. She could tell it was only the very early hours of the morning, hearing some birds in the distance but only a gentle orange glow of sunlight through the tent. As she shifted a bit, she was alerted to the feeling of weight over her middle. Glancing down, she was greeted with the sight of Ben’s forearm, draped across her waist. 

Ben was still deeply asleep, his breathing slow and shallow. He looked unfairly comfortable laying beside her like that.

Unfairly adorable as well.

It was a bit ironic that they’d never been close at all like this during the time they were on much warmer and friendlier terms. The closest they got was dancing, and even that was rather proper and tame, being in the middle of an event with countless other people. So to feel him snuggled against her side and the weight of his arm across her middle...it was very new. Not just new, but also far more pleasant than she liked to admit even as she felt her face heat up with what was likely an embarrassing blush. 

A part of Rey knew that it was going to be pointless to try and get away without disturbing him. He was too close and there was bound to be plenty of rustling if she attempted to move and get up. No, she’d simply have to face the music.

Rey gingerly lifted his arm and moved it over to lay across his stomach, and as she suspected that was when he shifted, his eyes blinking awake.

“Morning,” he grunted. “Was I crowding?”

She shook her head, possibly a little too forcefully. “No no, not at all. But I was just um, I was hoping to get my own clothes back on and get going.”

Ben pushed himself up on his elbows, the undershirt he wore very clearly displaying the impressive expanse of his chest and shoulders. 

“Get going?” he questioned, appearing slightly amused. “Meaning, with just the clothes on your back?”

“I do still have the map,” she countered proudly. “And my compass!”

Ben nodded. “Uh huh. And what happens if you fall again? Or you get trapped in something? Or maybe you’re injured? You don’t have supplies, like a signal or whistle to call for help, or any first aid to care for yourself if needed.”

Rey huffed, yanking the tent flap aside and stepping outside, letting it close behind her. She grabbed her clothes from off the line and spoke while removing his shirt and putting her own things back on instead before he decided to follow her outside.

“Ben, this is a  _ competition _ . You know that,” Rey yelled back at him. She found some pins in the pocket of her trousers and managed to pin some of her very unkempt hair back and out of her face. “We’re not meant to work together. If we both find the inheritance at the same time, then what?”

“A fight to the death?”

Fully dressed by then, Rey whipped the tent flap back again, seeing the smirk which she’d already been able to hear in his voice. She sighed. 

“Look, I’ll go a little farther with you just because you have the only available supplies. But at some point we’ll have to separate, regardless of who has what.”

He shrugged, getting up and starting to roll up the sleeping bag and stuffing it back into his pack. 

“We’ll see how the day goes.”

She rolled her eyes. It didn’t much matter how the day went. She was right, and there was no sense in prolonging the inevitable for too long. 

Before long the little campsite was returned to Ben’s pack and they were setting out in the direction the map instructed, using their compasses to point them North. There was barely a cloud in the sky, leaving the hot air damp and muggy, but at least they didn’t seem to be in danger of more rain. It was just a matter of following their instructions now. 

* * *

Hours passed quickly as they walked and did their best to follow the trail laid out on the map, only taking short breaks for a little water and some dried fruit and nuts. Rey didn’t want to let on how much she wanted a nice hot meal and a warm bed at that moment. She kept telling herself that the sooner this was over, the sooner she’d have those things. All she had to do was get this done. 

As they stopped briefly again to take care of business, Rey took the opportunity to read her map on her own. After a few minutes of examining the area and looking around her, she’d come up with a brilliant plan and decided she had no time to lose.

Ben emerged from behind some trees, adjusting the pack over his shoulders. “You ready?”

“I am, but I’ll be going another way.”

He frowned. “What  _ other way _ ?”

“Just an alternative route I’m trying out, so this is goodbye,” she explained simply, then something occurred to her. She stepped forward, closing the distance between them and placing a hand on his upper arm. “But thank you, Ben, for everything. Really, I appreciate it.”

He gulped visibly, and his voice cracked a little when he finally replied. “You’re welcome.”

She took a moment to smile up at him before slowly removing her hand from his arm. Slow enough that she managed to also swipe one of the flares from the side pocket of his pack. Immediately after, she turned and left their current path to march onward.

“Hey, wait! I don’t think this is a good idea.”

Rey groaned inwardly. Why couldn’t he just leave her be?!

“Ben, it’s fine. I’ll be fine.”

She picked up the pace, heading down a slight incline over some rockier terrain. The rocks were a bit slick from the rain overnight and the footing and balance wouldn’t be as easy for him as it was for her, especially with his heavy pack of supplies. If she could just lose him she could continue on her way without disruption. If this route went the way she expected, she’d have reached the final destination before dusk, set off the flare to alert the waiting party of lawyers on the mainland, and would need only to wait until they arrived to collect her as the victor. 

“You do realize I’m trying to be nice!” he called after her, now a few paces behind.

“I don’t know why you’re bothering!” Rey called back, zigzagging a bit down the hill. “There’s no reason for either of us to be nice to each other!”

Just after the words had left her mouth, she heard a thud and grunt.

Rey froze in her tracks, afraid to turn at first. 

“Ben?” 

There was no reply.

Her heart was suddenly pounding out of her chest and crippling guilt sprung up where her previous drive and confidence had been. And that was all nothing compared to when she finally did turn around...only to see him sprawled face down on the side of the incline.

Rey rushed back up the rocks to where he lay, grabbing his shoulder and pushing with all her might to flip him over. 

“Oh God,” she murmured, seeing the blood on his forehead. To her instant relief though, he groaned and moved a bit.

“Ben, can you hear me? Ben, you slipped on the rocks and hit your head,” she explained gently. “Can you open your eyes and look at me?”

He blinked a few times before fully opening his lids, and then he did as instructed looking right at her. And God help her, in that very instant any thought she had of leaving him and carrying on fled fully from her mind.

Her hands pushed away the straps of his pack, trying to free him from it while also checking for additional injuries. “Ok, now I need you to put your arm around me and help me get you to your feet. Over there is a good place to rest a bit and I can clean up your forehead.”

Ben slung his arm over her shoulder and did his part to get to his feet while she lifted as well. The size of this man had never been more apparent as when he was leaning on her for support. 

They managed to prop him against a rock and then she helped him slide down to sit. Ben reached curious fingers up to touch the wound on his forehead but Rey swatted his hand away, earning her a little glare from him.

“I told you that way wasn’t a good idea,” he groaned. 

Rey sighed as she rummaged through his pack for the first aid kit she knew was there. “It would have been fine if you hadn’t followed me.”

“It would have been fine if we’d stayed together.”

She opened the first aid kit, shaking her head. “It wasn’t supposed to go this way. I don’t know why you’re acting like this.”

“Don’t you?”

Her gaze shot to him, frowning as she brought the cotton swab soaked in alcohol to his skin, causing him to wince. For just a moment she tried to tell herself she didn’t care, raising her voice a bit in frustration.

“I’m here to find this inheritance and get home! Why couldn’t you just bloody do the same?!”

“Because!” Ben yelled back. “That’s not why I’m here!”

Their eyes stayed locked together as Rey blinked, processing what he’d just said. A breath later and Ben’s gaze fell downward, his lips twisting together in what seemed to be embarrassment at the confession.

“I only bothered to come here for one reason, and it wasn’t for the money,” he stated more quietly, then lifted his eyes to meet hers again. “It was for you.” 

Rey swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly bone dry.

“I know what you think of me, ok? I do,” Ben continued. “And you have every right to feel the way you do. I was...I was lost for a long time. I don’t like the man I was when we first met any more than you did. I tried to find fulfillment in money and business, and not the best kind. I even made some questionable choices.”

Rey lifted a brow while unrolling a bandage. 

“Ok fine,” he conceded. “ _ Bad _ choices. But I came here because I wanted to see you again and this seemed like possibly the only chance I’d have to do that. I wanted you to see that I’m not who I was before. So like I said, I’m not here for the money.”

Placing the bandage on his cleaned wound, Rey took a deep breath. She felt like everything about this experience and this place had been turned upside down in just a few minutes. This wasn’t what she expected, to say the least. Of course, she had no basis for anything he was saying. She hadn’t really known him for some years. But she had to admit something was absolutely different about him, and his words had the ring of truth. What benefit would he have to come here and continually endanger and inconvenience himself, all just to help her? 

“Well,” she finally breathed. “I suppose it’s rather funny because...I don’t particularly care about the money either. If I’m honest, I just thought it would be best if  _ you _ didn’t get it.”

This coaxed a laugh out of Ben, though he also winced, gingerly touching the now bandaged spot.

Rey gave him a shy smile. “You should rest a little while longer, and we can make sure you don’t have a concussion. Or at least not a serious one.” She paused. “And after you’ve rested, maybe we should stay on the path laid out on the map.”

His eyes brightened noticeably, looking positively boyish with that little glimmer of hope.

“We?”

She nodded. “I think you were right about sticking together. That is, if you still want to.”

He smiled, and it was one of the loveliest sights she’d seen. 

“That’s  _ all _ I want.”

* * *

Rey covered her ears, the flare gun louder than she’d expected as Ben lifted his arm high in the air and fired. 

“Sorry I took that, by the way,” she said, sitting herself down in the sandy beach beside him. “I thought maybe you had more than one.”

Ben smirked. “Good thing for me you decided to team up then, instead of leaving me stranded on this island.”

“I wouldn’t have gone  _ that _ far.” Rey glanced at his profile. “How’s your head?”

He shrugged. “It’s sore, but I think I’ll live. What about your hand?”

Before she answered, Ben reached over, picking it up from where it lay in the sand between them and examining her palm that had been cut from opening the actual box containing the object of their search. He’d hastily bandaged it with a handkerchief, since they both agreed they may as well wait to clean and properly bandage it once on the boat back to the mainland.

Rey reached over, opening the small metal box they’d found and pulling out the two identical documents. One would make her the legal heir, and the other would make Ben the legal heir.

“So, what do we do with these?”

Ben nodded toward the box. “Here, lemme see mine.”

Rey handed the document over and Ben took it, holding it carefully for a moment and appearing to read. And then, without any warning, he gripped the top of the paper between both hands and ripped it clear in half from top to bottom.

Rey’s jaw dropped. “Ben! What are you doing?!”

He held the two pieces together, ripping them apart again, and then again, and then he tossed the bunch of shredded pieces into the wind, carrying them into the nearby surf. 

“I’m showing you I meant what I said,” Ben explained calmly. “I know what matters now. I think I’ve known ever since the day I got that letter from you. The money is yours, and you can do whatever you want with it. Spend it, donate it, burn it, I don’t care. What I cared about was seeing you again, so I already got what I wanted.”

Rey smiled, her eyes a little playful. “You  _ only _ cared about seeing me?”

It might have been the sun, but she could have sworn his cheeks got a little pink.

“Well...I hoped it would be more than seeing you.”

Glancing around and behind them at the expanse of the small island, Rey let out a contented sigh. 

“Y’know, I’m guessing this island is part of the inheritance. It was my grandfather’s, after all. When I got here at first I was thinking I’d like to see this place burn, but now…”

His hand found hers again. 

“Now?” he prompted softly.

Rey let herself lean into him, looking into his eyes without feeling the need to quickly look away again. 

“Now I think I’d like to keep it, maybe even build a little place here. Might be a nice spot for a holiday if there was something more than a tent to sleep in. This island could become something special.”

Ben smiled. “I’d like to see what you do with it.”

She squeezed his hand a little tighter. “I hope you do. I...wasn’t really thinking of coming back here alone.”

“Good.” He leaned in closer until they were nearly nose to nose. “Because you’re not alone.”

Rey drew an unsteady breath. “Neither are you,” she whispered, and then closed the distance between them.

Instantly lost in the warmth of his lips and the way his arms closed around her, Rey barely even noticed that the boat was already approaching to pick them up. In the back of her mind she vaguely wondered what her grandfather and Ben’s truly hoped to achieve with this absurd arrangement. Likely, this wasn’t their desired outcome. She had to admit that the thought only made her smile more.

Exegol Island truly had been found to contain treasure, but it wasn’t the kind she’d thought when she first arrived. It wasn’t the kind one needed a map to reach, but all the same she’d be forever grateful to have been sent on this strange quest. 

Because if not for all of this, she might never have discovered the  _ real _ treasure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right at the end it occurred to me that this island would be part of the inheritance, and then I instantly loved the idea of them going back there together to actually enjoy the place. Yay for fluff! :)  
> Beta credit to Lexie ❤️


End file.
